


Endless Orange

by Floral_and_Fine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A little angst, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25158739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floral_and_Fine/pseuds/Floral_and_Fine
Summary: Feeling lonely, fate leads Fred to a coffee shop.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all! This story will definitely have more than one part! Already almost done with part 2 :) I'm having a lot of fun with it and I'm pretty happy with it so far! It'll probably be mostly fluff and maybe some smut, we'll see :P
> 
> Enjoy!

Fred sighed as he started closing up shop for the night. He sent George home early. It seemed appropriate for his brother, who had a beautiful wife and children waiting for him, to get every chance he could to spend the evening at home with them. 

George had suggested that they close early and that Fred should join them for dinner, but he declined the offer. 

While Fred was always welcomed in their home, he was beginning to feel like a burden. Gradually, more and more of his time was spent alone. He was beginning to feel like a third wheel. The uncle who was constantly hanging around, staying longer than he should, well after the children had gone to bed.

Even amongst the rest of his family, he felt left out, it was a rather odd thing to feel. Everyone seemed to have somebody, his parents had each other, Bill had Fluer, Percy had Audrey, George had Angelina, Ron had Hermione, Ginny had Harry, even Charlie had his dragons… He had never felt like the odd man out before. 

Up until recently, Fred and George had been moving in the same direction born together, went to school together, worked together…but now his life and the life of his twin had finally splintered and they were finally on different paths. 

Fred often caught himself wanting to turn to George and share an idea or a witty joke, only to realize that his brother wasn’t there. 

He was truly happy for George and Angelina. He just sort of wished that he had someone too. 

But instead of meeting anyone or even trying to meet anyone, Fred focused on the business. He spent countless hours working alone on new products. Stayed late doing whatever he could to stay distracted.

If Fred was being honest with himself, he’d admit that all the time he was spent at work was to avoid having to deal with his loneliness. Sometimes he even worked through the night or would fall asleep in the workshop to avoid having to come home to his dark and empty apartment. 

Fred tucked his hands into his pockets, there wasn’t anything left for him to do. Everything was clean, shelves were stocked, the store was all set for tomorrow. 

He would spend time developing new products but lately, he was having a dry spell, no new ideas or if he did have one it wasn’t any good. 

Fred started feeling anxious, standing there in an empty store with nothing but silence to keep him company, slowly that lonely feeling he dreaded was starting to sink in. 

Shaking his head, he quickly slipped on his jacket and locked the door. 

Outside the air was cool and crisp, and the night sky was full of stars. Not wanting to go home, Fred started walking aimlessly. 

Most of the businesses he passed were closed for the night. The streets were dark and vacant with the exception of the occasional street lamp and stray cat. 

Fred mulled over ideas in his head for new products, he had been thinking about that age line spell from 6th year, wondering if there was a way him and George could create a cream or candy that would age the user by 100 years, temporarily of course. 

He frowned to himself, wondering if it was even a good idea and if their customers would even buy something like that. 

Could just be a waste of time… or it could be a fun prank to pull on someone else. The kids who witnessed him and George suddenly become old men seemed to find it pretty hilarious. Fred continued to go back and forth on the idea until he gave up.

He groaned loudly, this was way easier when George was around to bounce ideas off of. He’d just have to wait until tomorrow morning, see what George had to say then.

Fred finally stopped walking once he realized that he had no clue where he was. He could easily apparate home, but his eyes were drawn to the building he stopped in front of.

The warm light was like a beacon, pulling Fred to it, without thinking he entered the small muggle establishment. 

Inside it was cozy and smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. 

The woman behind the counter watched Fred intently with a playful smile on her lips. His unique orange suit that clashed with his red hair piqued her interest, making her want to know more about him. He was by far the most intriguing person that’s walked in all week. 

He carefully took in his new surroundings, mismatched furniture, local artwork decorating the walls, and the homey interior that reminded him of the burrow. 

“Can I help you?” She spoke up, finally drawing his attention to her.

Fred blinked a few times, his mouth hanging open, he wasn’t expecting to meet anyone so...attractive. He openly stared a moment longer, taking in her features and her bright smile.

As he was about to reply, his mouth snapped shut, it just dawned on him that he didn’t have any money to pay for anything, well not any money that she’d want anyway. 

Sheepishly running his hand through his hair, Fred chuckled, “‘Afraid I don’t have any money on me.” 

“That’s alright, find a place to sit and I’ll bring you a little something,” y/n said pulling out an orange mug. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Fred objected. 

She laughed, “Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing fancy. I’m gonna have to throw out this pot of coffee in a bit anyway.” 

Fred smiled and took a seat by the window. She brought him a cup of coffee and a scone on a small matching plate, setting them both in front of him. 

“Thank you…. y/n,” Fred added reading her name on the tag pinned to her apron. “I’m Fred, by the way,” he introduced himself. 

“You’re welcome, I guess,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s just old coffee and a stale pastry.” 

She lingered by the table, rocking slightly on the balls of her feet. “May I ask you a question?” Y/n finally asked, tilting her head.

“Sure,” Fred answered, taking a big bite of the scone, now realizing how hungry he was. 

“What’s with the suit?”

He chuckled, “just left work.”

Y/n nodded, “and?”

Fred just stared at her, not quite understanding her interest in the suit. 

“It’s just such an unusual color,” she explained, now noticing the gold ‘W’ pin on his tie and the playful design on his dress shirt. 

“Oh, well, you see my brother George and I run a joke shop together, the suit just kind of goes with it all.”

She clapped her hands together, “That’s fantastic! Honestly, I love it, it’s a great suit.” Without thinking y/n took the seat across from Fred, not that he minded.

“So you and your brother own a joke shop? You look awfully young to own your own business.”

“Georgie and I have had a lifelong passion for practical jokes and pranks,” he explained, adding an obscene amount of sugar to his coffee. “We started designing and making our own products while we were still in school.”

“That’s incredible,” y/n gushed. “So as boys did you guys start off with things like hand buzzers and whoopee cushions?”

Fred quirked an eyebrow, what in the world was a whoopee cushion, “a what?”

“Oh you know, it’s a rubber cushion filled with air that you hide on someone’s seat, so it makes it sound like they broke wind,” she described. 

Fred laughed, “That’s brilliant.” 

He didn’t quite share his father’s interest in muggle gadgets, but maybe that’ll change. He could already imagine what the magical counterpart of a whoopee cushion would be like. 

“What were some of your favorite pranks from your childhood?” Y/n asked, leaning forward, her eyes sparkling with delight. 

Fred started sharing stories of some of their earlier pranks, making sure he left out all talk of magic and spells. The sound of her laughter and genuine interest spurred him on. 

“Fireworks? Really? That’s unbelievable!” She gasped. 

“I don’t think you quite grasp how much we despised that woman,” He smirked, finishing off his cup of coffee. 

Y/n sighed, it had been quite some time since she’d had so much fun. She was about to ask him another question until she spotted the clock hanging on the wall. 

“Oh wow!” She announced practically jumping out of her seat. “It’s getting late! It’s already past closing.” 

“Sorry,” Fred started, standing up and getting ready to leave, but y/n lightly swatted his arm. 

“Don’t be! I really enjoyed talking with you.” She grabbed the empty dishes off the table. Looking up at Fred, she bit her lip. “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”

A wide grin formed on Fred’s face, “Do you work tomorrow night?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Morning George!” Fred greeted as he burst through the front door slightly out of breath and rushed up the stairs in the shop.

“You’re late,” George tutted, “might have to dock your pay, Weasley.”

Fred laughed, “Promise it won’t happen again, Mr. Weasley, sir.”

The shop was already bustling, groups of first years wandering around with their arms full of merchandise, girls giggling over the pygmy puffs and love potions, employees scurrying about. 

“So what happened?” George questioned, it wasn’t like Fred to be late, ever. 

“Nothing,” Fred shrugged, trying his best to act nonchalant. “Just had to stop at Gringotts on my way here.”

“What for?”

“Had breakfast with a goblin,” Fred joked. “What do you mean what for?”

“Well typically when you need money, you usually just take it from the register,” George reasoned.

Fred went quiet, his brother had a valid point after all. Gritting his teeth, Fred mentally kicked himself, for not thinking this through. Of course, George, being equally as clever, could tell something was up with him and most likely wasn’t going to drop the subject any time soon. 

“Well?” George pressed. “It can’t be that bad? 

Fred sighed, “I’ve got a date tonight.”

For the past few nights Fred continued visiting y/n at the coffee shop, she had been generous so far and treated him to free coffee and pastries with each visit. 

But tonight, they had a real date and there was no way in hell he was showing up broke for that. So this morning he made a stop at Gringotts to acquire some muggle money.

George smiled, “that’s great! I was beginning to worry about you, all work and no play was making you like Percy, Fred.” 

“Please, George, if I ever start acting like Percy, have the decency to put me out of misery!”

Both brothers chuckled, as they finally started working. 

“Oi George! I’ve got a few ideas I want to run past you,” Fred beamed, turning to his brother. “What do you think of an ordinary-looking cushion, but when someone sits on it they break wind, and I mean literal wind, like a massive gust that could send a small child flying through the air!”

“That’s brilliant!” George exclaimed, “We could even offer a variety of scents! How did you come up with it?”

Fred chuckled, “you know how these things work, inspiration just strikes out of nowhere.” 

As the day progressed, Fred began feeling antsy, he tried keeping himself busy working on a new display for his and George’s latest creation, but his mind kept wandering back to y/n. 

In just a few short hours, he’d be sitting across from her, having a nice dinner. Maybe they could take a walk and find a nice place to sit. For a brief moment, he pictured cupping her cheek and kissing her, his stomach fluttered at the prospect. 

“Fred,” George called out, suddenly snapping Fred out of his daydream. “You alright? You’ve been staring at the shelf for like 5 solid minutes.”

“I’m fine,” Fred grunted, getting back to work. 

George smiled smugly. “Oh I see,” he hummed. “Fantasizing about a certain someone are we?”

Fred’s ears started turning red because of George’s teasing. “I-I wasn’t.”

George clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Why don’t you leave a little early, hm? Get your date some flowers or something.”

Fred opened his mouth to object but was immediately interrupted. 

“Don’t argue,” George wagged his finger. “You let me leave early all the time.”

…

Fred appeared in front of y/n’s door a few minutes early. In his hand was the largest bouquet of flowers or at least a close second. He had insisted at the shop that his date needed a few of every flower they had in stock. 

He had to admit when they handed him a bouquet the size of a small bush with flowers of practically every color and type, that maybe it was a bad idea... but still it could pay off. 

Biting his lip, Fred knocked on her door and took a step back holding the flowers out in front of him. 

The bewildered expression on y/n’s face as she answered the door convinced Fred that he had made the right choice. 

“Fred?” She gasped, barely able to see his face past all the flowers. 

“These are for you,” he said, handing her the bouquet. 

“They’re… beautiful, there’s so many of them,” y/n commented as she looked at the massive bundle. Did she even have a vase big enough? “I’m gonna put these in some water.”

Fred tucked his hands in his pockets, he thought about following her inside but decided against it. 

When she returned, Fred was finally able to get a good look at her. She was stunning, although she’s always looked lovely to him, even when she was working.

“You look incredible by the way,” Fred said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. 

“Thank you,” she muttered, giving him a quick peck in return. “You look incredible too.” 

He was wearing another one of his suits that she found so interesting. This one was brown with olive green accents. 

“Shall we?” Fred asked, offering his arm to y/n.

She nodded entwining her arm around his, “so where are we headed?”

“Well…” Fred muttered, tapping his index finger against his chin. “I was thinking we’d take a chance and find an interesting place nearby.”

“Alright,” y/n laughed lightly. “Sounds like a plan.”

As they started idly walking along, Y/n looked up at Fred who had the biggest smile on his face. She couldn’t quite figure out why, but every time she was with him, his good mood just seemed infectious. 

They must have looked like quite the pair, walking arm in arm as if they had all the time in the world. All the cars and other people around just seemed like a blur.

Occasionally, Fred’s head would turn to admire a window display that piqued his interest. It was so fascinating watching muggles go about their day, hailing cabs, drinking coffee as they briskly walked past. Each time he noticed anyone staring at him and y/n, he’d smile and wave. 

He felt as though he was walking on air. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had been so excited on a date. 

Fred abruptly stopped. 

“What is it?” Y/n asked, tilting her head. 

“Something smells fantastic,” he answered, inhaling deeply. 

Whipping her around, y/n spotted a quaint little pub. “My guess it’s coming from there,” she said pointing it out to Fred.

Squeezing her hand tightly, Fred practically sprinted towards it, dragging her behind him.

Inside it was relatively crowded, a large group of people were gathered by the bar focused on the football game playing on the tele. 

“Seat yourselves,” the bartender shouted at them.

Finding an empty table in the back, Fred pulled a chair out for y/n. “This place looks fun,” he commented, his eyes full of wonder as he took the seat beside her.

The waitress soon came by with menus and took their drink order. 

Suddenly, loud cheers erupted from the bar, catching Fred’s attention. 

“Are you a football fan?” Y/n asked. 

“No,” he answered, still fixated on the screen as he tried to figure out the objective of the game and who this particular crowd was cheering for. “But I like being loud and competitive, so I could be.”

He watched as the players kicked the ball to each other, their footwork was quite impressive as they manipulated the ball across the field. A player from the opposing team with incredible speed snatched the ball and made a goal. 

With impeccable timing, Fred shouted at the TV, “Rubbish!” His energy imitating those who were also booing, however, he seemed much more entertained and pleased by it all, rather than upset. 

Y/n found herself wanting to join in on all the rowdiness as well. Gently, laying her hand over Fred’s, she focused on the game as well. 

Moments later, their waitress served their food, and they chatted a bit as they ate, still paying attention to what was happening with the game. 

Things started getting exciting as the scores between the teams were timed, Fred and y/n both jumped to their feet cheering as their team scored. 

Without thinking, Fred wrapped an arm around y/n’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to her lips. She blinked in surprise, the kiss was short-lived and ending before she had a chance to respond. 

“Y/n did you see that!” He shouted sitting back down. “That play was bloody brilliant.” He wondered if something similar could be accomplished in a quidditch game. 

When the waitress dropped off the tab, Fred took out his wallet, figuring a couple of the largest notes he was given this morning ought to cover it. “Keep the change.” 

The waitress hurriedly accepted, with a gracious thank you. 

Y/n slightly gaped over the fact that he just gave their waitress an unexpectedly large tip, but quickly shut her mouth and decided not to question him over it. 

He did seem like the generous type or at least the spontaneous type. In fact, he was absolutely unlike anyone she had ever met, carefree, charming, witty, confident, a little ridiculous but she loved that too. She gulped, realizing how much she already adored him. 

Leaving the pub, y/n raised her arms above her head and sighed. It had gotten rather stuffy inside so she welcomed the cool refreshing night air.

“We should go to a game sometime,” Fred suggested thoughtfully. “We’ll do it right, with jerseys and face paint, the works.”

“That would be great!” Y/n nodded eagerly. “We’ll even buy some of those giant foam fingers, and get into a scuffle with another couple.”

He laughed, “I can't wait.”

For a moment, he pictured taking y/n to a quidditch game, getting the chance to watch her face light up as the teams flew in on broomsticks. But first, he’d have to tell her the truth, and he was far from ready for that. 

Quietly, they started making their way back to y/n’s flat, but at the pace of a snail. Neither of them were quite ready for this date to end. As they got closer to her home, Y/n wracked her brain for an excuse to make the date last just a little longer. 

“Dessert!” She shouted suddenly. “We should get ice cream! I know a place close by.”

Fred perked up at the suggestion, “lead the way.”


End file.
